SAI Removal and coding out

[Other_Erik]

So I'm tired of the extra noise and voltage drain at startup with the SAI system, not to mention the "Insufficient Flow" code that keeps popping on my CEL. Does anyone have a definitive DIY for:

1) Removing all SAI Components
2) Coding out the SAI codes from the ECU

Or am I going down an expensive custom recode rabbit hole?

I'll preface with:
I've already tried the search function, both here and via google with "site:rs6.com" - 213 threads later, plenty of folks have removed and/or looped at their N112 valve. I just want to get rid of as much extraneous crap as I can. When it's cold out (that's going to be happening again, too soon!), I let the car sit and idle for at least 2-3 minutes, usually more, to get engine temp up before I go anywhere. I'd like to not have a readiness issue as VA has gotten ridiculously strict about the safety/emissions inspections. And yes, this is less than 4 months after replacing the SAI pump with one that I got here cheap cheap.

Oh, it'll be so nice to not have all that extra crap on the passenger side of my engine compartment! Someone help my dream come true!

Thanks
O_E

[Corbett]

You can delete it all, but it's a giant pain to put the block off plates on the back of the heads with the motor in the car. Took me 2 nights of making up new swear words to get it done. You will need to have the SAI coded out in your tune as well.

[lswing]

Bigglez had a good writeup for looping the lines to not throw the CEL, avoiding the custom tune out. Seems very tight back there if you want to actually remove the SAI parts, wait until in service position again.

[Other_Erik]

wait until in service position again.

Why do you curse me so? :D

Ya, I contacted 10sec about his tune. Not looking to drop cash on this since I'm trying to buy a house, but will do what I need to do. removing SAI parts is not the big deal from my understanding, but as Corbett said, putting in blockoff plates... thankfully I've got small hands, it's probably just a question for me, of finding the right combination of tools and swear words and enough liquor to keep my hands from shaking / dropping small bits to get them in.

I'll see if I can do anything with Bigglez' write-up, thank you for your advice. If I think it's something I can do, I'll link it back here for future reference.

O_E

[P1054]

Just start at the pump and remove everything that connects to it, from plow the hoses until you remove the last hard pipe that bolts to the back of the block on each side (the piece under the kombi valves). As for coding, I've just looped the little solenoid (N112 you say?) and have no CEL or codes on VagCom. Installing the block of plates is definitely tricky, but by no means impossible. I think it took me about an hour, maybe two. Just have a magnet handy to retrieve anything you drop, and make sure to plug the rabbit holes. If you want more info about looping the little valve, or pix, just let me know.

[Other_Erik]

Just start at the pump and remove everything that connects to it, from plow the hoses until you remove the last hard pipe that bolts to the back of the block on each side (the piece under the kombi valves). As for coding, I've just looped the little solenoid (N112 you say?) and have no CEL or codes on VagCom. Installing the block of plates is definitely tricky, but by no means impossible. I think it took me about an hour, maybe two. Just have a magnet handy to retrieve anything you drop, and make sure to plug the rabbit holes. If you want more info about looping the little valve, or pix, just let me know.

Definitely interested, thanks. What seems weird is when my SAI pump was dead, I was getting CEL's for insufficient flow still - does looping the solenoid really take care of that? Would seem to me that there'd be no flow without the jet vacuum anyway, and that'd trip the sensor... Also thinking that with no pump, I'd get readiness code of '0' and fail emissions inspection outright, even though this car pollutes less than any of my last 3 or 4 vehicles at least. :|

Thanks
O_E

[P1054]

I'll see if I can get a good picture once I get home tonight.

Also, I just remembered that I had the valve covers off when I removed my SAI stuff, in fact that's what prompted me to do it because I wasn't sure I'd even be able to get the passenger side valve cover back on with the kombi valve in place.

I'm not sure about the codes you're getting.. But I know that the "loop" I did has a different effect than a bad pump would. I'm pretty sure the looped hose is a vacuum one that controls the pump, not a hose that is controlled by the pump, if that makes sense.

I'm also not sure about the readiness. Is it something I can check with VagCom? If so, let me know how to do it and I'll check tonight. For the record, I don't have to go through the emissions stuff, rural Washington state is still exempt :)

[Bigglezworth]

Just start at the pump and remove everything that connects to it, from plow the hoses until you remove the last hard pipe that bolts to the back of the block on each side (the piece under the kombi valves). As for coding, I've just looped the little solenoid (N112 you say?) and have no CEL or codes on VagCom. Installing the block of plates is definitely tricky, but by no means impossible. I think it took me about an hour, maybe two. Just have a magnet handy to retrieve anything you drop, and make sure to plug the rabbit holes. If you want more info about looping the little valve, or pix, just let me know.THIS

As mentioned, you 'can' remove the SAI with the engine still in situ, but it's a pain and can mark up a few knuckles and fingers depending on the size of your hands. If you want to keep the parts mounted (combi valves on the back of each head and the SAI pump on the passenber fender well), you can do so and simply disconnect the connector/wire to the pump, and then disconnect each 3/16 hose leading to the combi valves and then siimply reroute the end of the one vacuum line off the T-fitting on to the other end of the T-fitting to create a loop. Alternatively you can put a hose cap on the end of the sensor that is located below the carbon fibre inspection cover.

[Corbett]

Service position won't make things any easier for this job. Fitting your hands back there isn't really the issue either. Drivers side head was a piece of cake. Passenger side however, is a giant PITA. I had to cut down Allen keys and Allens on sockets just to make it work. It's a matter of getting everything lined up while not being able to see anything. With that being said it IS doable, just have a lot of patience and a fridge full of beer.

[P1054]

Good point Corbett, I forgot about my modified Allen wrench. I had to cut off a (5mm? 5.5mm?) wrench to fit, but after that it was just a matter of patience and small motions. Passenger side was trickier.

[ttboost]

I seem to recall its about the same amount of time, trying to remove the SAI system in the car, and removing the engine to get it out...OK, I'm exaggerating...definitely faster to drop the engine...

[RKturbo]

THIS

As mentioned, you 'can' remove the SAI with the engine still in situ, but it's a pain and can mark up a few knuckles and fingers depending on the size of your hands. If you want to keep the parts mounted (combi valves on the back of each head and the SAI pump on the passenber fender well), you can do so and simply disconnect the connector/wire to the pump, and then disconnect each 3/16 hose leading to the combi valves and then siimply reroute the end of the one vacuum line off the T-fitting on to the other end of the T-fitting to create a loop. Alternatively you can put a hose cap on the end of the sensor that is located below the carbon fibre inspection cover.

basically what I did. Removing the valves and installing the plates looked like it would be a real pita so I just left valves, removed all the hard lines, pump and capped the sensor. No issues and no codes.

[Fastguy]

basically what I did. Removing the valves and installing the plates looked like it would be a real pita so I just left valves, removed all the hard lines, pump and capped the sensor. No issues and no codes.

I removed it all and installed the 034 block off plates. I couldn't find them for rs6 but found the 2.7 plates to be exact fit. I did, of course, have the engine on a stand so it made it simple-but for the life of me I couldn't get the passenger egr off without removing that coolant pipe that attaches to the heads.

[Bigglezworth]

You can improve your access to each of the tubes coming off the back of the heads in to the bottom of each combi valve by removing the valve head and the cross pipes first. That frees up a host of room to get your wrenches and hands in behind the heads.

[ttboost]

I actually removed everything when my engine was out and made my own plates. I think I have 2 sets left...

[Other_Erik]

I'll see if I can get a good picture once I get home tonight.

Also, I just remembered that I had the valve covers off when I removed my SAI stuff, in fact that's what prompted me to do it because I wasn't sure I'd even be able to get the passenger side valve cover back on with the kombi valve in place.

I'm not sure about the codes you're getting.. But I know that the "loop" I did has a different effect than a bad pump would. I'm pretty sure the looped hose is a vacuum one that controls the pump, not a hose that is controlled by the pump, if that makes sense.

I'm also not sure about the readiness. Is it something I can check with VagCom? If so, let me know how to do it and I'll check tonight. For the record, I don't have to go through the emissions stuff, rural Washington state is still exempt :)

I get what you're saying about the loop - it's not SAI pump-actuated, it's part of the central vacuum system (like what actuates the brake booster) - putting it in a loop makes the car think that it's actuating the SAI pump because it detects the same pressure on both sides of the loop, just like it would if applying vacuum had turned on the SAI pump.

Readiness - when you fire up the autoscan or component scan, Engine (Component 01), right at the top of the output you should see a line like this:

Readiness: 0110 1011

All that is is False (0) or True (1) bits for up to 8 subcomponent/systems. I'm not even sure which of those bits is the SAI system, or what they're supposed to read for full readiness for emissions testing. I do know that if those 8 bits don't align with what they're supposed to when they plug the car into the emissions testing machine, I get automatic fail, still have to pay the $28 or whatever they charge for testing, and have to get the car fixed, back to ready state, and tested again (and pay for the testing again).

Lucky you in rural WA - I bet you don't have the ethanol BS in your gas there, either. Taking feedstock corn and using it to make grain alcohol to dilute gasoline to drop gas mileage by 30% or more - superb way to cut emissions! :|

[P1054]

Here's a picture of my loop. I didn't get a chance to check my readiness values last night, I'll see if I can get to it tonight. I assume the car needs to run for a while before checking?

Actually we do have ethanol.. Up to 10%, but there's a CFN about two minutes from my house with ethanol free premium.

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[RSoverAll]

Here's a picture of my loop. I didn't get a chance to check my readiness values last night, I'll see if I can get to it tonight. I assume the car needs to run for a while before checking?

Actually we do have ethanol.. Up to 10%, but there's a CFN about two minutes from my house with ethanol free premium.

Readiness can actually be set with VCDS.

[lswing]

Readiness can actually be set with VCDS.

As in you can set something as ready when it is set to not be ready by default? I'm new to this emissions/inspection thing, and will post a new thread soon with info from my car. I need to read up on the readiness list, something like what OE posted, Readiness: 0110 1011.

[Other_Erik]

Readiness can actually be set with VCDS.

Please, do tell. I don't know enough about the Vag-Com...

[Other_Erik]

Here's a picture of my loop. I didn't get a chance to check my readiness values last night, I'll see if I can get to it tonight. I assume the car needs to run for a while before checking?

Actually we do have ethanol.. Up to 10%, but there's a CFN about two minutes from my house with ethanol free premium.


You have no idea how jealous I am. If I want no ethanol I've got two choices - drive out to the track (30 miles each direction) and pay $9.95/gal for 100 octane unleaded race fuel, or drive out past Front Royal (80 miles each direction). Otherwise I get 10-15% ethanol at the pump and gas mileage and power suffer.

I think for readiness to calibrate properly without VCDS intervention, it just needs to be up to temperature, more than 75 miles since last ODB2 reset.

O_E

[RSoverAll]

http://www.ross-tech.com/vcds/tour/readiness.html

As in set your readiness monitors to "Pass" or "Ready" in the comfort of your garage w/o performing the actual drive cycles.

Not as in if your car is SAI delete you can force the readiness monitors to "Ready" when the ECU determines there is actually a fault.

[lswing]

Aha, thanks for the info. Playing this game soon...

Woohoo! 91 pure just down the street, http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=NY

[s8prtotype]

Ha, good luck on the passenger side with EVERYTHING you gotta do to get it out that's all i gotta say haha. WORTH IT THO

[P1054]

Erik, I tested the readiness bits on mine today and got 0000 0000 (all passed, including the SAI). See below.

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